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Nathan (Nate) Nolan reviews our 2010 Syrah and Chardonnay and our 2011 Unoaked Chardonnay in this YouTube video. We sent Canadian Nate our wines a couple of years ago and he decided to keep the wines before reviewing them to see how they age. This is Nate’s video and we think he has made a pretty good job (well very good job) of describing our wines. Our Overberg wines have shown real character from day one and Nate certainly seems to like our wines . Take it away ‘Mr Drink n Eat’……..

We are proud to announce that we achieved three excellent awards from the 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards. Having decided to enter our Syrah 2012 and our two Chardonnays (oaked 2011 and un-oaked 2012) we were absolutely delighted with getting a GOLD award for our 2012 Syrah and BRONZE for the two Chardonnays. To put this into context it is like winning a medal in the Olympic Games, well in wine terms. As our vines are still very young (the syrah and chardonnay vines were 4.5 years old when the grapes were picked) we are really ‘over the moon’ with the way our vineyard and wines are developing. Testimony for this goes to Riana van der Merwe, our young winemaker, and Peter Davison, our vineyard manager. It is the hard work and dedication of the two of them that has enabled us to achieve this is such a short space of time.

“Has opened up nicely to show lovely ripe blueberry fruits with some violets and spice. Lovely fleshy style but with substance, black fruits, fine grained tannins and very well balanced. Has surprising length. I think could develop a lot further still.”

As the summer season fast approaches, thoughts of lazy afternoons on the veranda, a glass of vibrant red Pinot Noir <http://7springs.co.za/ourwine/> in hand and laidback conversation as the sun begins to set over a sprawling mountain range, is, for many wine lovers, the very definition of Paradise. There is something instinctively soothing and rewarding about wine; it is as though our entire working day was meant to lead up to this perfect moment when the mood is Zen and the ambience, one of languid enjoyment. Although it seems that every time we turn on the news or pick up a newspaper, we are being told to curb our cravings, cut back on carbs or head speedily to the nearest gym, our body is somehow our wisest teacher and it tells us that this special moment of relaxation, is necessary. Interestingly, our almost instinctual love for wine is backed by a host of findings indicating the surprising health benefits of the drink of the Gods. In this post, we reveal that wine and its derivatives are good for so much more than your soul… but we bet you already knew that!

*Resveratrol vs Cancer:* A recent study<http://medicine.missouri.edu/news/0202.php> by the University of Missouri School of Medicine indicates that resveratrol (a potent polyphenolic compound contained in red wine and grape skins) can make cancerous cells more susceptible to radiation treatment. The study found that melanoma cells reacted better to radiation if they had been treated previously with resveratrol. When the cancer was treated with resveratrol alone, some 44 per cent of the melanoma cells perished. When treated with both resveratrol and radiation, 65 per cent of the melanoma cells died. The scientists concluded that resveratrol could soon be used to treat a variety of cancers. The Executive Editor of Harvard Health, Patrick J. Skerrett, meanwhile, suggests that these findings don’t meant that we should rush to the pharmacy to obtain Resveratrol supplements; rather, natural is best<http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/resveratrol-the-hype-continues-201202034189> and we should obtain our quotient of the powerful flavonoid from grapes and our favourite glass of red.

*Resveratrol had already previously been proven to be effective in fighting cancer in three stages: initiation, promotion and progression.* A study in the *International Journal of Cancer* found that men could reduce their chances of contracting prostate cancer by consuming a glass or red wine every day. Drinking four or more glasses a week could reduce the incidence of aggressive prostate cancer by an impressive 60 per cent.

*Resveratrol Boosts the Immunity: *In a study<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201300266/abstract> of the ability of 446 different compounds to boost the innate immune system in humans, scientists at Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute found that two compounds in particular had a significant ability to raise the expression of a particular gene (cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide or CAMP), which plays an important role in immune function: resveratrol and pterostilbene (the latter can be found in blueberries). The scientists also concluded that combining these compounds with Vitamin D had significantly more impact than when used alone.

*Grapes and Wine Beautify:* Grapes and wine are all the rage at the world’s top spas<http://www.scottsdalespaandholisticmassagetherapy.com/portfolio/red-wine-mask-massage/>, since they contain a potent cocktail of antioxidants, flavonoids vitamins and minerals that promote youthful skin and hair. Crushed grape seeds make an ideal exfoliant for skin while grape seed oil is a choice ingredient for a relaxing massage. Wine has also been used in upmarket hair products,
since its high antioxidant content helps fight free radicals and protect the scalp against UV rays. Grape seed oil is famed for its ability to ward off dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis and is rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid, which are known to strengthen hair. This is particularly relevant to those with brittle or thinning hair<http://www.licensedprescriptions.com/propecia-or-rogaine/>, since hair loss isn’t always caused by genetics; rather, it can be related to ski conditions like severe dryness and even environmental aggressors. Simply drinking wine will do plenty to raise your beauty factor, since its immune boosting properties may stave off a host of autoimmune diseases<http://www.medicinenet.com/alopecia_areata/article.htm> that have serious consequences for the skin and hair, including dermatitis and alopecia areata.

*Resveratrol May Help Battle Obesity: *Another recent study <http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ijo2013155a.html> published in the *International Journal of Obesity* involved 11 obese men, who were supplemented with resveratrol of a placebo for a four-week period. Those who had taken the resveratrol showed a significant decrease in the size of fat cells, as well as a decrease in the number of very large and large fat cells. The resveratrol group also showed an increased immune and inflammatory response, which is very much in line with the previous findings mentioned above. If these findings have just about convinced you to pour yourself another glass of red, you should be aware that they are only the tip of the iceberg; previous studies had already indicated a myriad of benefits held by wine, one of the most important of which is the promotion of cardiovascular health. If your heart beats for wine, give in to its full-bodied temptation and drink your way to optimal health and wellness.

Our Sauvignon Blanc is now on sale in South Africa from Cybercellar (www.cybercellar.com) and The Wine Village, Hermanus (www.winevillage.co.za). 400 cases were collected on Wednesday afternoon for shipping to the United Kingdom.

Our Sauvignon Blanc 2010 was labelled on the 13th October 2010 and is now ready for the general public. We will ship 2,400 bottles of the wine to the UK and it should arrive in the last two weeks of November. 2,000 bottles will be left in South Africa for sales there and also back up stock to go with our Chardonnay when that is ready in early 2011. So far tastings of our Sauvignon Blanc 2010 have received a big ‘thumbs up’. A big thanks to Fiona Phillips from Cybercellar in Franschhoek, Western Cape, (http://www.cybercellar.com) for saying she will sell our wines from day 1 and also helping us import our wines into the UK.

Friday the 6th of August 2010 is a momentous day in the history of Seven Springs Vineyard as it was the day we bottled our first ever wines, our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. A total of 4,300 bottles of the wine were bottled at Iona Vineyards, www.iona.co.za, in Elgin. Our wines will spend a couple of weeks recovering from ‘bottle shock’, then be labelled and made available for sale within South Africa and the UK.

DAY 1 – Wednesday May 19th – Our annual pilgrimage to the London International Wine Fair proved to be very positive again for Seven Springs Vineyard. On Wednesday Vaughan and Tim attended the event and met with a good friend of Seven Springs, David Derbyshire aka http://oenotype.blogspot.com/, and we spent most of the day going around the show with him. Some of the highlights of the day saw us catch up with our old friend Ken Forrester of www.kenforresterwines.com and we sampled his fantastic range of Chenin Blanc’s culminating with the fabulous FMC. Moving on we then met with Liesl Rust and Paul Cluver of www.cluver.com and tasted the wonderful wines they produce from the Elgin region of South Africa. Try their Noble Late Harvest Riesling, one of South Africa’s best sweet wines (along with Ken Forrester’s T and Mullineux’s Straw Wine). We then met with near neighbour Peter Finlayson of www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za and tasted his stunning range of wines, flagship Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Hemel en Aarde Valley. Then we moved on to see The Wine Gang, www.thewinegang.com, where all the ‘gang’ were there Olly Smith, Tom Cannavan, Tim Atkin MW, Antony Rose and Joanna Simon. They hosted a stand displaying their top 100 wines based on their top scoring wines of the last 12 months. Highlight of this visit was Antony Rose attempting the hoola hoop…ring a ring a rose! Whilst tasting some of the wines we met our friend Chris Mullineux, http://mullineuxwines.com/, who was paying a flying visit to the show between trips to California and the south of France. Then we met with Tara O’Leary aka http://winepassionista.com/, Tara being the first person to write an article on Seven Springs Vineyard. After lunch we spent time with our brand designer Marcel de Quervain of www.curv8.com and spent the afternoon with him. David then introduced us to Rowan Gormley of www.nakedwines.com. Rowan has asked if he can taste our wines once they are bottled as he would be interested, if the wines are of a good quality, in adding Seven Springs to his impressive portfolio of South African wines. We then met up with daughter Kim who spent the last two hours with us culminating in a tasting of the legendary Simonsig Estate, www.simonsig.co.za , where we spoke with owner Pieter Malan and tasted their lovely range of wines. Fabulous Chenin Blanc’s as always from Simonsig..their recently bottled 2010 is a very fruity and vibrant example of this variety. Vaughan then drove back to Warwickshire and Kim, Marcel and Tim headed off for a curry and a bottle of Cobra. Who should we bump into at the curry house?…none other than Pieter Malan from Simonsig….a small world indeed. Then off to bed, ready for Thursday and day 2.